Means for applying bags over garments



May 9, 1933. M R. BOSWORTH MEANS FOR APPLYING BAGS OVER GARMENTS FiledMay 19 mirallll Patented May 9, 1933 uNrrsn s'r'rss FATE MEAN S FORAPPLYING BAGS OVER GARMENTS Application, filed May 19, 1932.

My invent-ion relates to means for applying bags over garments and hasfor its obect to provide a device that is simple in construction, highlyefiicient in its action and easy to operate. While the invent-ion isintended for general use in placing bags over garments, it is especiallywell adapted for use in a cleaning and pressing establishment.

Tothe above end, generally stated, the invention consists of the noveldevices, combinations of devices and arrangement of parts, hereinafterdescribed and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates the invention, likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the device holding a bag in position tobe placed over a garment, some parts being shown in different positionsby means of broken lines;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the device, as shown bybroken lines in Fig. 1, but on an enlarged scale and with a fragment ofthe bag indicated by means of broken lines;

Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are detail views, with some parts sectioned on thelines 3-3, 4- -4L, 55, and 6-6 of Fig. 2; v

Fig? is a perspective view of one of the hinged members at the knee ofone of the toggle levers;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view with the toggle leverssectioned on the line 8-8 of Fig. 2, on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary edge elevation of the device, with some partssectioned on the line 99 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 10 is a detail view, with some parts sectioned on the line 10-10 of2, on an enlarged scale.

The numeral 12 indicates a round rod detachably held suspended from aceiling or other overhead support 13 by a hook 1 1 and an eye 15, theformer of which is secured to the ceiling 13 and the latter of which issecured to the rod 12 at its upper end. A garment hanger 16 is detachably secured to 0 the rod 12, at its lower end, by a book 17 and an eye18, the former of which is secured to Serial No. 612,220.

the coat hanger 16 and the latter of which is swiveled to the rod 12. ip

Mounted on the rod 12 is an upper or relatively fixed head 19 and alower or relatively movable head 20. Each head 19-20, as shown, includesa pair of wooden blocks having in their opposing faces half seats,through which the rod 12 extends. The blocks of each head 19-2O areconnected by v a pair of nut-equipped bolts, certain of whichfrictionally clamp the blocks of the head 19 onto the rod 12 and rigidlyhold the same where set. The blocks of the head 20 are frictionallyclamped together by the respective bolts, and the half seats thereinareof such size as to permit the head 20 to freely slide on the rod 12.Preferably the blocks of the head 20 are saturated with oil for thepurpose of lubricating said blocks and the rod 12. A pair of hingestraps21 are rigidly secured to each head 19--20, by the respective bolts,with their ends projecting outward of the ends thereof. 1

The sliding head 20 is connected to the relatively fixed head 19 by apair of toggle levers 22. These toggle levers 22 have one of their armspivoted at their outer ends to the upper pair of hinged straps 21 andtheir other arms pivoted at their outer ends to the lower pair of hingestraps 21. These two toggle levers 22 are arranged to move in the sameplane and buckle in opposite directions away from the rod 12. The hinges23 forming the knees of the toggle levers 22 have cooperating stopsurfaces 2 larranged to limit the straightening movements of said leversand prevent the pivots of said hinges from moving beyond dead centersand thus interfere with the buckling of the toggle levers 22 to move thehead 20 toward the head19. I

A pair of coiled springs 25 is provided for buckling each toggle lever22 and for yieldingly holding the same buckled. The springs 25 of eachpair are anchored at one of their ends to a two-part bracket 26,frictionally clamped onto the rod 12 above the upper head 19, and theirother ends are attached by clips 27 to the upper arm of the respectivetoggle lever 22. These clips 27 extend transversely of the toggle levers22 and are held in oblique biting engagement with the longitudinal edgesthereof by the springs 25. By turning the clips 27 substantiallystraight across the toggle levers 22, they may be adjustedlongitudinally thereon to vary the tension of said springs. When thetoggle levers 22 are straight, as shown in Fig. 2, the springs 25 arebeyond dead center with respect to the pivot bolts, which connect thetoggle levers 22 to the upper hinge straps 21 and thereby yieldinglyhold the toggle levers 22 from buckling.

A pair of bag holding clips 28 is provided for attaching a bag to thehead 20 and hold the same suspended therefrom. Each clip 28 includes apair of depending spring fingers rigidly secured to a pair of downwardlyand outwardly diverging fixed arms 29 on the head 20. These clips 28 arespaced equidistant from the rod 12 and are in the same vertical plane inwhich the toggle levers 22 work. These fingers of each clip 28 are understrain to open and their free end portions are in outwardly divergingrelation to receive the top portion of the bag X therebetween, when saidclips are open.

Each clip 28 further includes a clamp 30 and each clamp 30 includes ayoke 31 and a cooperating cam-acting lever 32. The yokes 31 extendtransversely of the rear fingers of the clip 28 and are secured theretoby rivets, see Fig. 10, and the levers 22 are pivoted to the prongs ofsaid yokes and arranged to engage the front fingers of said clips. Whenthe levers 32 are raised. the clamps 30 hold the fingers of the clips 28closed and when said levers are lowered, the clamps 30 are released sothat the fingers of said clips may open. The two levers 32 are connectedby a hand bar 33, by which they may be simultaneously operated.

A stop block 34: for the movable head is adjustably mounted on the rod12 for limiting the upward movement of said head. This stop block 34 issplit from one end to the seat therein for the rod 12 and frictionallyclamped onto said red by a nut-equipped bolt 35, which extends through ahole in the split end of said block.

A buffer 86 for the head 20 which, as shown, is a coiled springencircling the rod 12 is carried by the stop block 34 for cushioning thestopping of the head 20 by said stop block during the lifting movementof said head by the springs 25. The purpose of the stop block 34 is tostop the lifting movement of the head 20 and position a bag carriedthereby with its lower edge a predetermined distance above the lower endof the rod 12 irrespective of the length of the bag.

The bag X is of the usual type for covering garments and has an openbottom and a closed top except for a small central opening .1 Normally,the device is adjusted, as

shown by full lines in Fig. 2, and in this ad justment the toggle levers22 are straight and the clips 28 open. To place the bag X over the dressZ on the coat hanger 16, said bag is first held in an upright positionand its upper edge portion inserted between the fingers of the clips 28,with the hole Y aligned with the rod 12 so that said rod will movethrough the bag X during the raising of said bag and the hand bar 33moved downward to close the clips 28 onto the bag X and thereby hold thesame. With the bag X thus held slight upward pressure on the head 20will start the initial buckling of the toggle levers 22, which carry thesprings 25 outward of dead centers whereby they become active andcomplete the buckling of the toggle levers 22 and raise the head 20,which carries the bag X upward with the rod extending therethrough andwith its eye projecting therebelow. The dress Z is next placed on thecoat hanger 16 and said coat hanger attached to the rod 12 byinterlocking its hook 18 with the eye 17.

A downward pull on the lower portion of the bag X will straighten thetoggle levers 22, against the action of the springs 25, and carry thebag X over the dress Z. During the final straightening movement of thetoggle levers 22 the springs 25 move beyond dead centers and hold saidtoggle levers against the action of the springs 25. After the bag X isover the dress Z the hand bar 33 is raised to release the clips 28 andallow the bag X to slip therefrom and thereafter the coat hanger 16 isdetached from the rod 12 and the bag delivered to a customer orsuspended by the coat hanger from a horizontal bar or other support in aroom or delivery truck.

The purpose of swiveling the eye 17 to the rod 12 is to permit thegarment to be turned around about the axis of said rod for inspectionbefore the bag is placed thereover.

What I claim is 1. A device of the class described comprising a rodhaving means for anchoring the same at one end to a relatively fixedsupport, means for attaching a garment hanger to the rod at its otherend, a bag holding head movably mounted on the rod a toggle leverconnecting the head to the rod, and yielding means under strain tobuckle the toggle lever and move the head toward the anchored end of therod.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 in which the yielding means isbeyond a dead center when the toggle lever is substantially straight andthereby hold the toggle lever from being buckled by the yielding means.

3. The structure defined in claim 1 in which the toggle lever isprovided with means to prevent its knee pivot from moving beyond a deadcenter, when said lever is substantially straight.

4. The structure defined in claim 1 in which the yielding means is acoiled spring, one end of which is anchored in respect to the rod andthe other end of which is attached to the toggle lever.

5. The structure defined in claim 1 in which the yielding means is acoiled spring, one end of which is anchored in respect to the rod andthe other end of which is attached to the toggle lever and arranged tomove beyond a dead center When the toggle lever is substantiallystraight to hold said lever from being buckled by the spring.

6. A device of the class described comprising a rod having means foranchoring the same at one end to a relatively fixed support, means foranchoring a garment hanger to the rod at its other end, a bag holdinghead movably mounted on the rod, yielding means under strain to move thehead toward the anchored end of the rod, and a bufierequipped stopmovable, at will, into a position to limit the movement of the head onthe rod toward its anchored end.

7 A device of the class described comprising a rod having means foranchoring the same at one end to a relatively fixed support, means forattaching a garment hanger to the rod at its other end, a bag holdinghead movably mounted on the rod, a pair of toggle levers, the levers ofsaid pair being on diametrically opposite sides of the rod and havingone of their arms pivotally anchored in respect to the rod and theirother arms pivotally attached to the head, and spring means under strainto buckle the toggle levers and move the head toward the anchored end ofthe rod.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

MARK R. BOSWORTH.

